Latest news with #Rajasekhar
Hans India
4 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Natural farming only way forward to restore planetary health
Vijayawada: 'This is a historic day and game-changing moment where the entire agriculture and horticulture department and its leadership have come together to champion a shift towards practices that enhance farmer prosperity,' stated B Rajasekhar, Special Chief Secretary of the Agriculture and Cooperation Department. He was addressing the inaugural session of a three-day district-level Training of Trainers (ToT) programme, which commenced Wednesday at all district headquarters. This programme aims at giving orientation to over 10,000 Rythu Seva Kendra functionaries across the State in June on the promotion of Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF). Rajasekhar emphasised that natural farming is a turning point, offering concrete solutions to major agrarian challenges. During his virtual session from the State headquarters, Rajasekhar urged departmental officials attending the training to promote Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) in non-APCNF villages to ensure 365 days of green cover on farmland. He highlighted successful natural farming practitioners like Srinivasulu from Guntur district and Hema Latha from NTR district, who are actively exploring the science behind the practice. T Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice-Chairperson of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), speaking virtually at the ToT launch, stressed the critical juncture faced by food consumers due to declining nutritional value, increasing pest resistance, rising carbon emissions, and economically unviable farming. He asserted, 'Natural Farming is not just a choice anymore; it is a necessity to restore the health of the planet and the dignity of the farmer.' This district-level ToT is a follow-up to the State-level programME and aims to orient all Village Agriculture Assistants (VAAs) and Village Horticulture Assistants (VHAs) statewide. Special arrangements were made at all district headquarters for smooth participation in virtual sessions with Heads of Departments. The training combines classroom learning with field-level exposure, providing grass-roots departmental functionaries with a comprehensive understanding of natural farming principles. Dilli Rao, Director of Agriculture; Dr K Sreenivasulu, Director of Horticulture; Dr. D.V. Raidu, Advisor to RySS; and B. Rama Rao, Chief Executive Officer of RySS, also joined the virtual call and addressed the gathering.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Govt agrees to purchase tobacco through Markfed
Parchur: Relentless efforts of the Parchur MLA, Yeluru Sambasiva Rao, on behalf of Black Burley tobacco farmers have finally borne fruit, with the government giving the green signal for tobacco procurement from the second week of June through the MARKFED system. On Tuesday, MLA Yeluru Sambasiva Rao met with Agriculture Department Special Principal Secretary Rajasekhar, urging immediate action to resolve the severe tobacco crisis. Minister Gottipati Ravikumar also spoke with the Principal Secretary over the phone, requesting the initiation of tobacco procurement. The minister assured that tobacco issues would be discussed in the upcoming cabinet meeting. Responding to these efforts, the government expressed readiness to procure tobacco through the MARKFED in the second week of June. The Principal Secretary informed the MLA that the district marketing officials under the state marketing department are conducting field visits and will submit reports, and announced to take action for tobacco procurement at the Perchuru, Inkolu, and Marturu market yards through MARKFED. During the meeting, the MLA informed the officer that the farmers are voluntarily moving toward crop diversification and are prepared to cultivate alternative crops. He detailed how farmers faced severe difficulties due to increased cultivation area and crop yields without corresponding prices. He explained to the PS that he had multiple discussions with farmers, and noted their willingness to embrace crop diversification while requesting government support. MLA Yeluri also explained that farmers are declaring they will not cultivate crops without company contracts. He said that many farmers support this stance, as it will eliminate difficultiesfor farmers during crop procurement.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Supreme Court upholds arrest of main accused in A.P. liquor scam case
The Supreme Court on Friday (May 23, 2025) upheld the arrest of a prime accused in the ₹3,200-crore Andhra Pradesh liquor scam case. A Bench headed by Justice A.S. Oka, who was on his last working day, dismissed the argument raised by the family of K. Rajasekhar Reddy, an IT adviser to former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, that his arrest on April 21 was illegal. Also read: SIT probe into liquor scam | Kasireddy Rajashekar Reddy alone can spill the beans, says Vijaya Sai Reddy Mr. Rajasekhar's father had appealed to the Supreme Court after the State High Court rejected his habeas corpus petition. The appeal said the grounds of arrest communicated to Mr. Rajasekhar by the State's Criminal Investigation Department were 'not meaningful and just an eyewash'. 'The entire case revolves around the question whether the arrest of the appellant's son could be said to be per se illegal for want of supply of appropriate and meaningful grounds of arrest… Having looked into the grounds of arrest that were supplied to the son of the appellant at the time of his arrest, it is difficult for us to take the view that the grounds do not make any sense or are not meaningful or are just an eyewash,' Justice Oka concluded. The judgment narrated the prosecution version that Mr. Rajasekhar was arrested at the Hyderabad airport. He was arraigned as accused number one in the case diary maintained by the police. At the time of arrest, the grounds of arrest were supplied to him and later were also served on his father. Within 24 hours of the arrest, he was brought to Vijayawada and produced before the jurisdictional Magistrate. Mandatory condition The Supreme Court reiterated in its judgment that 'the requirement of informing the person arrested of the grounds of arrest is not a formality but a mandatory constitutional condition'. Opinion: Arrest, agencies, and criminal courts 'Once a person is arrested, his right to liberty under Article 21 is curtailed. When such an important fundamental right is curtailed, it is necessary that the person concerned must understand on what grounds he has been arrested. The mode of conveying the information of the grounds of arrest must be meaningful so as to serve the true object underlying Article 22 (right to protection against arbitrary arrest and detention),' the court quoted from its earlier judgments. The court said a detaining authority could only claim public interest against disclosure of grounds of arrest. The Bench said it would be open to Mr. Rajasekhar, who is currently in judicial custody, to apply for regular bail before the competent court. 'If any regular bail application is pending as on date, the same shall be taken up for hearing at the earliest and be decided in accordance with law,' Justice Oka directed.
Hans India
29-04-2025
- Hans India
Son arrested for murder of parents
Vizianagaram: The police in the district have arrested a man for murdering his parents by running them over with a tractor. DSP M. Srinivasa Rao reported that the accused, Pandranki Rajasekhar, was apprehended on April 28 near Chodamma Agraharam Junction by Bhogapuram CI G. Ramakrishna. According to the DSP, the deceased, Pandranki Appalanaidu and Pandranki Jayamma, were residents of Challavani Thota village in Pusapatirega Mandal. They had a son, Rajasekhar, and a daughter, Radha Kumari. Appalanaidu had previously transferred 20 cents of land to his daughter during her marriage, retaining another 70 cents for himself. Burdened by debts amounting to Rs. 12 lakh, Rajasekhar frequently pressured his parents to sell the land. Despite several attempts by village elders to mediate, conflicts persisted, leading to Rajasekhar separating from his parents last year. Recently, while applying for government aid, Rajasekhar discovered that only 40 cents of the land remained in his father's name, while 30 cents had been transferred to his sister. This angered him, and he continued to pressure his parents and quarreled with them over the land issue. Even the village elders were unable to mediate the dispute. On April 26, during a heated argument, Rajasekhar, in a fit of rage, used his tractor to chase his parents into a maize field. Intending to kill them, he drove the tractor multiple times through the field, fatally running them over. Following a complaint filed by his sister, Radhakumari, the Pusapatirega police registered a murder case. Bhogapuram CI G. Ramakrishna and his team arrested Rajasekhar, who is now being remanded in custody. DSP Srinivasa Rao praised the efforts of CI Ramakrishna, SI Durga Prasad, and their teams for promptly solving the case.
